MOSCOW, May 17 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Air Force will receive two new Su-34 bombers in 2006, its commander said Wednesday.
Vladimir Mikhailov told government daily Rossiiskaya Gazeta that one of the planes was in an assembly hall and almost ready and that the other was under construction and would likely be ready in September.
He said Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov had inspected work on the planes at the Chkalov Aircraft Production Association in Novosibirsk
"A total of 1.6 billion rubles [almost $60 million] has been allocated for the aircraft," Mikhailov said.
Designers and producers had managed to reduce the cost of an aircraft by almost 150 million rubles ($5.5 million) starting from 2007, Mikhailov said.
The designing of the new Su-34 bomber began in the late 1980s to replace the outdated Su-24 bomber. Experts say the new bomber has the potential to be the best plane in its class for years to come.
